The problem is not youth, the problem is the affinity to play anti-football. During the 1st half the USMNT had no interest on the ball and try to rely on countering (I'm guessing bc I saw close to nothing). Adams was smart and showed great vision on his individual action for the goal. Green showed leadership and heart. The rest was simply awful.
Being tidy on the ball can absolutely help the team, but you have to have other elements to bring to the table against top flight competition. I think Trapp could be a useful player against some CONCACAF teams (thinking Gold Cup group stage level), but that's about it. He just doesn't have the physical or defensive capabilities against higher level opposition.
We don't have many of those. I know we probably shouldn't be putting out more CDM's there, though. And it's easy enough to just have a 2nd striker, CD played that role all the time and was plenty creative/effective for us.
I left out an important word *Only I feel he's really only useful at being tidy on the ball. Passing is just ok IMO. Everything else that comes with being a 6 is average to bad to horrible.
Of course he was being a jackass. We don't know what was being said and it's a lot of emotion there. I wouldn't read too much into it.
agreed. just b/c i am a usmnt fan doesnt mean i am onboard with that type of move. i do like mizga though and like his fire but he crossed the line imo....and he's lucky that red right after on trapp didnt break anything.
His lack of athleticism hurt us in a surprising way, IMO. He was much better when he had a partner (Adams) to come back and get the ball with. His lack of speed meant that he couldn't get enough space to allow for Miazga/CCV to pass it into him as Mexico pressed as WT showed for the ball. Reminds me of when MB would get focused, and end up taking the ball out from the 6 yard box...
Before reading the thread... Contrary to twellman and darke raving over Mexico's attack non-stop that was a fantastic defensive performance tonight. There's all kinds of storylines (and bs nonsense, I'm sure) but if you don't appreciate the clean sheet- with only two half chances that made it through to Steffen, which he handled easily- you're just intentionally looking for things to complain about.
FYP. I wouldn't like the move in any other setting. But as a one-off during a stretch of boring nonsensical games under a lame-duck coach, I'll allow it this one time. During a game that counts, he needs to keep his cool.
The header early on might have been on frame. And the Llanez pantsing of Trapp was a good chance. Otherwise, agreed, CS was a good one, and Mexico didn't produce much, especially after the first half once we finally figured out what to do and how to attack and keep the ball.
We have to find the player first, or put Pulisic there. I've got high hopes on a few guys, but all of them are probably a year or more away. Our biggest issue right now is the lack of a Reyna/Donovan type that can hold and distribute and attack other than Pulisic. I'm just not sold on guys like Roldan, but for blanks sake, it would be nice if he could even get half the look freaking Trapp got. Right now I think part of the reason we're basically a defensive midfielders paradise is the lack of any real absolute locked in options to play the #10 role other than Pulisic. I would've really liked to have seen Roldan get another shot, and Rowe get pulled back in for another look, but for right now, we may not have an option other than Pulisic that makes any sense at all there. It's exciting to have a real legit defense in place, but a bit scary to see how just a tiny couple of things are radically determining what happens or does not happen in the attack (we are hugely dependent right now Weah, Sargent, and Nova staying healthy and continuing to develop and something from that batch of names called Sabbi, Amon, Reyna, Llanez, Carleton, Taitague, Wright, Tillman, Siebatcheu etc. Everything is just really thin at Forward and on the wings, w/the only quality options still young as heck and not even cap tied to us in many cases, and we desperately need some of those guys to just force their way in AND get cap tied in certain situations. It's just scary right now how hollow the attack is because the best options are already out to pasture, or still too young, or not cap tied. The defense will have to do for now, with us scrambling to put something in the net if Pulisic isn't on[
I tend to think that if the youngsters stay healthy and continue to develop we'll start seeing beautiful things by '21-'23 or thereabouts, but the ride from '18-'20 will be bumpy, especially when Pulisic isn't here.
They're not. Some of them are center backs. Really good center backs. The pickings up top are still very slim. Very slim. Which is why Julian Green's game today is heartening.
Can anyone tell me what's happening with Saief? I haven't seen him in box scores and it really looks like we could use him.
I think this is being lost on some. I commented towards the very end of the 1st half that Adams had started coming back and playing as a second dmid when Mexico had the ball. But when the US had the ball, he was hauling ass to get forward and take up an attacking position. I liked the initiative from Adams, as we were playing terribly, but doing that is going to burn him out in a game. We just can't afford to have a player in the dmid position that forces other people out of position to help cover his space. Having said that, Adams has a set of lungs on him. Geez, I was tired just watching him.
I was kinda caught between two minds on it. I thought he acted like a jack---, but I also felt the team has lacked an edge for years, so while I don't like that kinda thing, period, I still think it can serve a purpose in fueling the team, giving it an edge going forward. So yeah, ridiculous, bullying b.s., but sometimes, after getting kicked around for quite a while, and playing like a bunch of soft, entitled, candy blanks, coming in with some attitude, anger, and edge, it can be necessary. But yeah, it was a bullying move that would have had me incensed if I was on the other team, but incensed in a way that made me want to score on him, rather than cleat somebody.
been injured. he's on the brink of coming back. i would like to see him at LB or left wing...... the euro wide mids i think will offer something this team has lacked.
Saief is always hurt. And to be honest, I haven't found him to be anything special in the little I have seen with him for the US (I think he has had 2 appearances).
Honestly wing concerns me even more than foward. At forward there's the promise of Sargent, Weah and to a lesser extent Novakovich and I still think Jozy can be useful. At wing there's Pulisic and ???. I like Amon's potential a lot but his injury history at such a young age is concerning. Sabbi and Gall have talent but have a long way to go to prove they're international caliber. Saief has some ability but he's perpetually injured. I don't personally rate Green or Weah at wing. Weah is a #9 and Green is strictly a central player for me, be it as a #10, #9 or secondary striker.
I really didn't like the amount of running all of our CM we're doing. I mentioned in the PBP I saw Trapp, McKennie, and Adams pressuring by Zardes. That kind of running, so regularly, is unhelpful and will burn guys out. Its not surprise to me none of them looked good 1st half. I'm not for having more of our players burn themselves out like Bradley has by putting way too many miles in the tank.
We have a few. None are maestros, but there's Green, and there's Lletget, there's Nguyen, there's Kelyn Rowe, there's even Benny Feilhaber, though calling him in at this point is probably pointless. We could play Pulisic as a #10, but we're kind of wasting a little bit of his ability if we're using him as a CAM. He's a world-class or near-world-class inside winger, and if we can find a way to use him as such we'll be better off.
He had technical ability we are seriously lacking on the flank. I've been behind keeping up but that's really disappointing he has the injury bug.